I would have never imagined that the 200 butterfly would become my all time favorite go to masters swim meet event. As a young reluctant swimmer; joining a local summer league swim team in Maryland in 1993, I had the hardest time learning to swim breaststroke. Once my breaststroke was legal; I swam it at swim meets, it became my go to swim meet stroke. But now the question was; how would I learn to swim butterfly? I loved how graceful butterfly was but didn't take the initiative to learn the stroke until my second or third summer swimming; which would have been 1994 or 1995. I learned how to swim the butterfly but was nervous to swim it; especially at swim meets of any kind whether on summer league (while still living in Maryland), at both year round club and high school swim meets (both when I was in Texas) so I never swam it. It wasn't until the mid 2000s when I was swimming on masters (age 18 and over) swim teams that I started to think about conquering my fear of swimming butterfly at swim meets; more importantly building up to the 200 Butterfly. This was an event I watched my twin sister Julie swim a swim a few times and was in awe of what her. I wanted to do what she did and feel whatever she felt in making it through such a vigorous event that took so much determination and power.
It wasn't until 2012 when I had moved back to Silver Spring Maryland after being in the Dallas Texas area from 1997 until 2008 that I got involved with the masters swimming community in the DC area. There weren't many masters swim meets that offered mid-distance and distance free events. I wanted to branch out of all freestyle all the time because that's what 'triathlon' swimming was to me. I got back into swimming the 50 and 100 breaststroke but realized this was my chance to work on my butterfly technique and build up to swimming the 200 butterfly at a masters meet one day. I swam the 50 fly a few times; too short and too fast as I'm not a sprinter. Then came the 100 butterfly a few times; boring *you can see my eyes closing as I write this*. It was March 21, 2015 that I made my debut in the 200 Short Course Meter Butterfly at the Montgomery Ancient Mariners Albatross Open. I remember standing on the starting block thinking "why am I attempting this?". The first 4 lengths (the first 100 meters) weren't bad and I told myself "I Can Do This". The next 2 lengths in which I was swimming meters 125 to 150 my mind said "Hard NO" and "Never Again". I felt defeated going into the last 50 meters wondering if this was a good idea or a terrible idea. Those last 50 meters though; came off pure adrenaline no matter what tricks my body and mind were trying to get me to believe. I charged the wall on my last turn and headed for the home stretch. I remember I was crying happy tears under my goggles as I saw the flags above me and touched timing pad. That was when I found my new event; the 200 Butterfly which will remain my 'Go To Masters Swim Meet Event' up until my body says it's physically too hard. From my debut in March 2015 through my most current masters meet in November 2023; I have swam the 200 Butterfly 13 times Short Course Meters, 2 times Short Course Yards, and 2 times Long Course Yards. Butterfly has reminded me that I Can Do Hard Things with swimming.
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